IT is never easy to predict what is going to happen in Zimbabwe. Perhaps it is foolish to try but I think we should give it a go, because in my view, the outlook for 2013 has changed and we should all re-gear ourselves for what is going to be a dramatic year for all of us in Zimbabwe.

In my last letter I talked about the final stage in this hunt and how to deal with this wounded buffalo who is trying to lure us into the Jesse where the odds will favor him.
Watching events unfold here since then suggests that the beaters have started to move into the Jesse on the other side of the wounded buffalo and are going to force him out into the open on our side of the bush.

A strange mix of influences is at work - the buffalo they call HE in the herd, is strangely committed to the constitutional provisions that say the present Parliament and his own tenure end in June 2013. Zanu PF has decided that they want an election as soon as possible and that on the basis that they can lure us onto their own ground and hold an election as soon as possible, that they can win that election.

It seems to me that they have heard the beaters start their slow drive towards their position and are now determined to go for a confrontation with the MDC. On our part, we have also decided to "go for it" and have agreed to go for a referendum in March and the election in June. I think our leadership has decided that it is bad for the country to drag this fight out for much longer and that we should get the best conditions we can and take on the old bull as best as we can.

So it looks to me that the idea of a negotiated compromise is suddenly off the table and that everyone has accepted that we go for an election in June. Voter registration on a national basis will start in January; detailed preparations for the campaign and the balloting are underway. In the referendum we will vote on our ID's and in the election in our wards, using the voters roll that we have and to which any new voters will be added in the next three months.

Tsvangirai has been given the responsibility for preparations for the ballot and he is working hard at this - meetings are being held with the agencies responsible and every effort is being made to ensure that conditions for the June vote will be as free and fair as possible. That is not going to be easy and I doubt that conditions can be made really free and fair by June, but we will just have to do what we can and get the best shot that we can in the circumstances.

We have to identify 2 400 candidates for this election by the end of January, approve our policy platform for the campaign by then and then go to our National Conference in February. After that we are in the referendum campaign and once that is over, we are going to have to hit the ground running for the June elections.

I personally am delighted that at last we have a clear task ahead of us. We also know that after the June election, things will never be the same again. I am tired of the waiting game that has gone on since 2008 when we wounded the old buffalo. Let's get this over with - he feels the same way and for that reason alone, this time it is really going to happen.

Just think for a short while of what is at stake. If the old bull survives it will mean that he has been able to beat off his hunter. He will not last long after this but his place will be taken by one of the old "dugga boys" who are a part of his gang. They have been together for many years and are unlikely to change their policies.

The Zimbabwe dollar will be lifted out of the grave, dusted off and reissued. The Reserve Bank will resume its role as the chief looter and funder of last resort. What is left of the productive economy will be taken over and dished out to the cronies and a small minority will enjoy the spoils of the hunt, live lives of luxury and be able to rest secure that their tormentors have been dealt with and will not be able to come back any time soon.

We are in the middle of a severe and prolonged dry spell and this will reduce what crops have been planted and Zimbabwe will remain dependent on food aid. Zimbabwe will become one of the most unequal societies in the world and the regime will tighten its grip on power and deal with its enemies both in the political and the civil society. Another 3 million people will flee to safer climes and countries.

But what happens if the hunter gets in a clean shot and takes the trophy home to hang on the wall? Well the first thing that would happen would be the biggest street party the world has seen. Zimbabwe will be one enormous braai and the meat of choice will be buffalo steaks.

The MDC would announce a small government - a Cabinet of 20 Ministers with 18 Ministries. The President and the Cabinet would be sworn in and would immediately begin a complete overhaul of the State administration.

Marange diamond fields would be nationalized and all existing operators expelled. The National Prosecuting Authority would ask all who have amassed wealth in recent years to explain where it all came from. Anyone who could not explain this to their satisfaction and the satisfaction of ZIMRA would have their estate sequestrated and their assets forfeited to the State.

A process of national healing with justice would be launched and would seek to expose the truth about all violations of human, political and economic rights that have occurred in the past. Victims would receive compensation for the losses and injury that they had experienced.

The President would announce that "Zimbabwe was now open for business" and assure all investors, local and foreign, that their interests were secure and would not be tampered with by the State.

The stock market, which is now functioning at about a quarter of its real asset value, would begin a steep climb and within two years, local equities would be trading at real values, similar to those in South Africa. This will push the value of the stock market to over $20 billion - injecting $15 billion into the local economy (three time the present value of all deposits in the banks).

Investment in the mining sector will start first and will accelerate rapidly as confidence in the new government grows. Mineral output will rise by over 30 per cent per annum for the next decade, pushing the mining industries contribution to GDP and exports to new heights. This will be accompanied by massive private sector investment in infrastructure - roads, air travel, railways and pipelines for energy.

Tourism will surge with Zimbabwe receiving 20 per cent of regional tourist arrivals by 2018. This will push national GDP even higher and create tens of thousands of new jobs. By 2018, over one million people will be working in the formal job market.

Agriculture is in such a mess that it will take many years to get back on its feet, but the restoration of secure land rights and the resumption of low cost financing will start to push output in 2014/15. Food security will be restored by 2018 and after that agriculture will assume its rightful place as one of the key drivers and as a major sources of poverty alleviation.

Social democratic policies will narrow the differential between the rich and the poor, greater integrity in all spheres will reduce opportunities for corrupt gains.

Do you think this is fanciful? I do not think so, I think this is the reality and to be frank, I am glad the long night is almost over. All we have to do is get that clean shot in and then we are there. Help us - get registered to vote, it is the only weapon we have in this crucial fight.

Eddie Cross is MDC-T MP for Bulawayo South. This article first appeared on his website www.eddicross.africanherd.com

COMMENTS:

*
Gangarahwe Chimutsa

Well said Mr Eddie Cross, hopefully, we will be compensated for our cattle and land stolen by your grandfathers. We hope the human rights that will be looked at are also the rights of Nehanda, Kaguvi, Chaminuka, Lobengula, Chimutsa and others who were killed by your forefathers because of their greedy. Hope you will also look at thousands of people who were murdered at Tembwe, Chimoio, Nyadzonya and other places within and outside our borders.
*
zvinhu_zviedzwa

Thanks for hitting that white uncastrated cow.....clinging to our vast resources...whites with money went away and this idiotic coltart dreams nothing except seeing a blackman to sweat for his profits...
Murungu must compensate us if ever vana Hague courts are not puppetic
*
Terence

After reading this article I can tell that this man has enormous influence in the MDC-T and is behind every major policy. Africans do we really need to be ruled by a white man? These people do not like you and they want you as second class citizens! No race wants to be ruled by another race except black people. Why?
*
bassman01

Terence,I think you may have it wrong here.Some on this forum hate the west and th EU,but quote them willy nilly to prove their point.If you don't want a white man in charge of your country,don't vote him in,In America ,they wanted a Black man to run the Country,because we all know the White that have run it so far were a pack of c@nts,it is their choice.So,with that in mind ,vote for who you want,but dont tell us who to vote for,your ilk has done this before,no longer.If you look at the millions who have fled Zim,did they run away from white men ,or Mugabe,please be honest with yourself ,we have advanced to far greater minded ness than white/black,well most of us anyway ,it's seems ,no?Ps ,his speech is the dream of millions apon millions of Zimbos,not the dreams of just a few.
*
Zhenharo Nepfuti

Hahahaha. The good man suddenly has a vision. Vision for who? On whose behalf is he dreaming? He and his whole lot of folks had 100 years to implement the same dream that he has now. What miracle does he suddenly have now that he couldnt achieve for the whole cenyury they had to run the economy.. Gents, your time is over. Its now for the Zimbabwean sons of the soi; to dream.
*
Terence

Lool I was going to take your comment seriously and even change my views until I read " we have advanced to far greater minded ness than white/black,well most of us anyway"

I beg to differ. Black people love white people infact they worship them. Do white people love black people? NO. Their private conversations are full of hate about black people.

bassman01 I suspect you call yourself a christian lool.

STOP BEING CUNNING.
*
LetsBuildZim

You are same people who sleep with white Girls you are just silly
*
Ngoko

Poor bassman01 & Co.
commiserations on publication of tsvangirai's messy life
You may be a stakeholder of NewZimbabwe but from the smell of it you ares too poor & an idiot to be consulted, let alone a shareholder. kikikikikikiki! God have mercy. It is, however, not uncommon for bootlickers of the British Empire to think Britishers or associated projects need to consult them. I can imagine the injury to your feelings this constituted a day after Matsororo was declaring that the incorrgiible Ngoko and his presumed accomplices should be banned sine di from New Zimbabwe. Unfortunately you cannot be corrected I would have told you never to forget your place. You are so useless a heap of toxic waste that all my fellow Ngokos have genetic instructions to NEVER accord you a decent burial
I have not even yet read the article, DON'T HAVE TO and have INSTANTLY decided I WILL NOT but I could deduce from the class of wailing that there is a big MDC funeral going on here. At least the brouhaha here is eyepoping to me because I had never been to the doghouse [skunk house in fact] on such occassions. Zvidembo zviri kushungurudzika kuti ngen'i camera yananga pa zip ya 'Chamwaya Chimbwamupengo'. Hell hath no fury. On a positive note, we could smelt iron and come up with high-grade steel here but it will be so smelly that even GreenBomber's curator bonis will not buy it.
*
Zhenharo Nepfuti

Its actually facinating how these self-styled democrats are bluntly intolerant to any opinion which differs from their. This is despite the fact that opinion is only assumed as their are conerted flip-floppers. There is, in their dreamland freedom of speech only when you praise Tsvngirai even if it means praising him for his mess. Even freedom of association is only permitted when one doea so with MDC. Then at every turn they tell you. Oooh listen to us. We are the sole owners and definers of democracy. What crap.
*
Ngoko

The nail in the head Ngaaaa!!!!!!!!
*
tsanoz

Terence hauna kana nyaya iwe!!!

Democracy and good governance has no race...or gender PERIOD. If a white man will be a good leader, so be it. Inga wani Barack Obama arikutonga ivo mangezi vachida vasingade!!

I really liked the ideas in this article - Good governance and productivity - creating real wealth that benefits the masses, not individuals.

If eddie Cross is Zimbabwean - he has every right to LEAD...not rule. Brain dzako dzaka brarika!!
*
PG Madziwa

Iwe unopenga.....to have a white man to lead...my foot Oh my foot!
In simple terms I liken you to a castrated HE-goat that relies on uncastrated goats to breed inhouse his pen.
Can't you just be african, whites are not african!
People of Mate$ele$and don't be used by whites like waht King Lobe did......in MDC era...whites are using people from that region again? We don't need whites at ALL
*
zvinhu_zviedzwa

Spot On!

This tired White Rhodie pulls the strings in the MDC

Seeing his face alone justifies a very cunning whiteman who has some sugar to bribe the black man

COLTART
We are sending you to the dustbin! Come 2013
*
LetsBuildZim

Another ZANU CIO
*
Zhenharo Nepfuti

So what????????????????
*
Pombi22

What do you mean ''so what?'' CIO killed loads of innocent people if you didn't know!
*
Ngoko

These fellows putting you to task for your holy remarks are idiot bugs Terence -they are drunk from african blood. It is common knowledge that Coltart and Cross are the frontier pointmen of the racist imperialists. They should keep their own countries while we keep our Zimbabwe. Any wrongs of or by Mugabe is our business not theirs
*
Terence

Pliz remove this comment, because I am not a CIO!
*
LizardHungwe

With all due respect Mr Cross this is truely a pipe dream .We all know you as anacclaimed economist , but here Sir we dealing with African politics driven by battle hardned campaigners , who are prepaid to go back to the trenches, for then are still very able to fight .Not taking away your well written laughable project proposal , all this is very possible with the Zanu -Zapu government.I hope your as one who has lived in Zimbabwe for this long your analysis yo.ur can read ChiKaranga this what we call,..zviroto zveharahwa kurota ichiyamwa zamu remhandara .There is notjing wrong in dreams, but to say them out in public .Your are righht about them wounded buffalo , its at its most dangerous state .Hunters will tell your its more cunning now , so good at ambushes .So be weary for elections might not be them buffalo,s way of a fight , also guns are known to backfire

*
truth0001

his prophesies are total dillusions!!! you would expect a economist to base predictions on facts but not this old school rhodesian!!
where does he put the USA survey which ZANU ahead of MDC? and where does he put the recent EU survey which put ZANU even way more ahead of MDC??? this fool expects the biggest street party in the world. he is losing his sanity, this rhodesian!! obama and the EU know that mugabe shall win free and fairly and have began to prepare to work with mugabe!!!!
why nationalise ONLY marange diamonds and and british owned diamond mines in zimbabwe?? or any other mines in zimbabwe??? Can zimbabwe legally nationalise marange diamonds, agianst bippas with China and South africa and Russia??? ZANU's deals with countries are legal and zimbabwe would loose lots at International Court of Justice and as well as at WTO..and this just shows that this rhodesian is beyond dellusional but is insane!!
an economist without basic knoweledge on such matters!!??? he belongs to a dementia rest home, this white fork. he is loosing it big time.

zimbabwe ever having the most unequal society??? ahead of south africa which has a first world and 4th world??? this is the same white men who wished zimbabwe would be so poor and hopeless as to have our babies faces covered with flies like you see in other african countries. The white farmer was the richest white community in the world and the black farm worker was the poorsest community of people in zimbabwe then. This rhodesian racist thinks we dont know the facts of our history. NO we will never ever have anything close to that scenacio of richest white community farmer and poorest black community/white farmer labourers.

but i say to him, i wish you happiness in your wishful thinking, its the only nirvana for you MR Rhidie... your wishful thinking (which are really symtoms of insanity) remains just that.
*
LizardHungwe

My point exactly, your have just said what I failed to put on paper Thank you my learned enlightened friend .Its
*
tsanoz

1. Surveys and Polls had Romney winning the US elections - the Outcome??
2. Marange Diamond fields are the biggest in the country - nationalising them will ensure the $ comes to national treasury and the $ can be used for the benefit of the masses + there is better accountability in terms of production /output etc

I still expect the other mines to be nationalised as well. If not (because of agreements etc signed by these ZAnu PF looters), a new tax regime targeting these mines is the next best alternative

Minerals are just like OIL - Tell me ONE oil producing country that has not nationalised oil reserves etc???? Ask yourself WHY Arab countries like UAE, Qatar are fast developing???

Can you as a Zimbabwean company own a diamond mine in Russia? a coal mine in China?? The answer is NO, why? Because they have been nationalised SIlly!

3. Whiteman, blackman, Indian, Chinese, Arab - if they are Zimbabwean, then they are Zimbabwean and they are protected by the constitution just like you and me and have EVERY right to lead, own land, companies etc.
*
rukudzo

You 458 Rifle will jam Mr Cross so will your 375 and 3006.. and before you know it,the Buffalo will have torn your scrotum to pieces. Prepare for casavac to Europe-the buffalo will not allow you treatment locally.
*
zvinhu_zviedzwa

It shows this white Rhodie has never acquired a hunting licence.....a wounded Buffalo will take you to Jesse for real! I am a survivor of a real wounded buffalo in the park while hunting! Its very dangerous Mr Coltart even with a cocked gun....it kills you because it moves at lightining speed!
Coltart...your dreams will be accomplished as a refuge in Europe
ZANUPF musangano wakaunza rusunguko after all these WHITE thieves stole cattle from our forefathers, forced them to do unpaid labour in the mines where they died horribly....let me stop here because Coltart has insulted all blacks whether sane or insane.
*
max moyo

Really really this what we call in chiKaranga zviroto zveharahwa kurota ichiyamwa zamu remhandara dreams on will be dreams The next Government will be Zanu, Zapu
*
Pidigu

Can someone please advise this pig skinned goon that the Rhodesian days are gone, and gone for good!!
*
mdctvatengesivevanavezimbabwe

Here, lets quote Tsvangisoni's boss "Agriculture is in such a mess that it will take many years to get back on its feet, but the restoration of secure land rights and the resumption of low cost financing will start to push
output in 2014/15. Food security will be restored by 2018 and after that agriculture will assume its rightful place as one of the key drivers and as a major sources of poverty alleviation".
Edy Cross can you explain what you mean by "but the restoration of secure land
rights" !!!!!

Zimbabwe if you listen to this tripartite EddyCross/Bennett/Coltart then you understand the definition of VAMPIRE.

Lets vote for our freedom, socially, economically, mentally but not be reenslaved by these Imperialists, yet again!!!!!!!
*
equalcitizen

Oh yes we will register to vote and vote Zanu Pf. I will be voting for the 1st time by the way.
*
Mahenye

The Baboon you mean Mr Cross...... Some here hate you for giving zimbabwe hope and vision. They don't look at your ideas but colour of your skin and judge you on that,if they win we are doomed.all the best Mr Cross. I will be voting. Pandonga po!
*
welcome ndlovu

i tend to reluctantly agree with eddie on some aspects of his dreams ,zimbabwe can truly one day recover from this self inflicted economic destruction visited on the zim economy by zpf, mining and manufacturing have that little chance of being in the forefront of economic revival that depending on who will win an overal majority in coming elections as well as how do they deal with investors in terms of easiness of doing business, tax reforms, infrastructure development,water & energy and more importantly agrarian reforms failure of which the dream shall remain an illusion ,how ever it is indeed encouraging to have a prospective leader having a vision for the succes of the nation.
*
LabanMaongeraSinyoroChambar

0 Comments:

Links to this post:

"Some even believe we are (...) conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it." David Rockefeller, Memoirs